Sunday, July 8, 2012

...Horror Comics In Black And White...

Your “Horrid Host” is back after a prolonged but necessary absence with some “Noxious News and Notes”… As stated in the intro to The Complete Illustrated Skywald “Horror-Mood” Index, I let all of you “Skywald Horror-Hounds” know that Richard J Arndt was hard at work on a book from McFarland Publishing. The “Terrible Tome” isfinally finished, and should be seeing release sometime later this year… It is now officially titled “Horror Comics In Black And White” A History and Catalog, 1964—2004… This massive monster should clock in at about 363 pages and will feature scans of Skywald material by none other than me, your “Obnoxious Orator!” I contributed the scan that ended up being chosen for the cover as well. Due in December 2012, and featuring a Foreward By Legendary “Swamp Thing” Artist Steve Bissette… Miss It Not…

Full Description For Horror Comics In Black And White…

In 1954, the comic book industry instituted the Comics Code, a set of self-regulatory guidelines imposed to placate public concern over gory and horrific comic book content, effectively banning genuine horror comics. Because the Code applied only to color comics, many artists and writers turned to black and white to circumvent the Code's narrow confines. With the 1964 publication of Creepy #1 by Warren Publishing, black-and-white horror comics experienced a revival that continued into the early 21st century, marking an important step in the maturation of the horror genre within comics and the comics field as a whole. This generously illustrated work offers a comprehensive history and retrospective of the black-and-white horror comics that flourished on the newsstands from 1964 to 2004. With a catalog of original magazines, complete credits and insightful analysis, it highlights an important but overlooked period in the history of comics.